Matthew 8:10-13 10And after he heard this, Jesus marveled and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, from no one have I found such great faith in Israel. 11But I say to you that many from the east and west will come and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; 12but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go, let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed that very moment.
Jesus recognized the centurion’s faith by his humble response and plea. This story shows how faith is connected to Jesus’ authority and power. Jesus’ extravagant response to the centurion’s humility highlights the need to have faith in who Jesus is. The centurion did not call Jesus the Messiah, but his actions show that he saw power and authority in Jesus and that he was able to do what was humanly impossible. No one in Israel had yet shown this type of faith. The type of healing the centurion was asking for did not even require Jesus to be present and touch the child. All Jesus had to do was just say the word, even from a long distance away. This man’s response shows extraordinary faith in Jesus.
Verse 11 gives another significant hint about the gospel as retold by Matthew. The good news of salvation through Jesus the Messiah is for all people, from the east to the west. No one is left out. The only requirement is faith. The sad part, however, is that many who should recognize the Messiah because of their religious heritage do not. In verse 12, Jesus adds another warning to those who reject him and the kingdom. The same themes appear in this story as in the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon gives the theology and core message, and the stories that follow show different responses to the themes of the sermon.
The outcome of faith in Jesus is instant healing. Jesus offers healing to those who come in faith. Not always is this healing from something as traumatic as paralysis. This was a special and rare situation but not impossible even in our day. There was something unique about Jesus’ ministry that can never be repeated even by his disciples. Yet, Jesus also promised his followers that they could experience miracles in his name. Any miracle a disciple would do in the future was dependent upon the power and authority of Jesus. The key idea of the passage comes at the end in the phrase, it will be done as you have believed. Faith in Jesus’ position as Messiah and Son of God is the key to this miraculous healing.
For older posts, click here.